#PUBLIC ARCHITECTURE PROJECTS
NEST WE GROW BY COLLEGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN UC BERKELEY AND KENGO KUMA ASSOCIATES
Japanese architect and California students team up
For the 4th Annual LIXIL International design-build competition, Japanese architect Kengo Kuma joined a team of students from the College of Environmental Design UC Berkeley, California. This unusual alliance resulted in the Nest We Grow, an eco-friendly public structure built in Hokkaido, Japan.
The intention of the building is to bring community members together for the preparation, storage and enjoyment of local foods, while also using ecological construction materials and methods in a cross-cultural exchange.
Structurally, the deceptively light wooden building has a touch of Kengo Kuma’s design, however the most interesting aspects of the project stem precisely from the mix of Asian and American influences. The group of students consisted of two students from Taiwan, two from China and one from California with each student bringing an element of their own culture to the project. For example, although the design is completely adapted to its location, the use of rammed- earth walls and straw bale construction is strongly reminiscent of Californian architecture.
Add to this wonderful mix the youth and innovation of the Berkeley team along with the experience and philosophy of Kengo Kuma, and the result is the harmonious use of renewable building techniques and materials to create a space that is accessible to everyone. Needless to say, the team of students and architects won the competition.